(Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has given his prediction for which teams will make the NBA Finals this season. Via ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne:
“[The Warriors] will be ready to go seven games with the Sixers in June!”
This seems unlikely; the Warriors making the Finals is almost a given, but the 76ers overcoming the likes of the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers is highly improbable. The Sixers are extremely talented; Embiid and Ben Simmons are going to be superstars in this league for a long time. They are, however, just 23 and 21 years old, respectively.
Due to his on-court dominance and his social media brilliance, Embiid has become one of the most popular players in the NBA. He doesn’t see his universal belovedness continuing forever, though:
“People love you at the beginning,” Embiid explains. “But at some point they’re gonna start hating you. LeBron. Russell Westbrook. All the superstars. Even Steph. He’s so likable. He does nothing wrong, but some people still hate him. It just comes with the nature of it. I’ve seen it.
“I feel like I’m about to go through it. I think it’s coming. People always want something new.”
